Look Up and Make a Wish!

Look Up and Make a Wish!

The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks this week and will be lighting up the sky with shooting stars. So get outside, look up, and make a wish!

The meteor shower occurs every summer as Earth moves through debris from the Swift-Tuttle Comet, but this year’s shower is expected to be one of the best in recent history. The Perseid Shower typically averages between 60-100 meteors per hour, but NASA predicts that this year’s night sky will be especially active. Under perfect conditions, you could see up to 200 meteors per hour. Now that’s a lot of wishes!

Gulf State Park is a great spot to watch the shooting stars, with its dark night sky spanning nearly 3 miles. Below are a few helpful tips for stargazers to keep in mind to watch the cosmic display:

For the best views, move away from areas with heavy light pollution.

The best time to view is after 1am on Friday, August 12 after the moon sets.

Give your eyes 45 minutes to fully adjust to darkness.

Lie back, get comfortable, and enjoy the show!

It could be another 20 years before the Perseid Meteor Shower is this active, so stay up past your bedtime this Thursday night!